Sliding bearer-sets for mine galleries



Nov. 8, 1966 J. J. LAUNAY 3,283,514

SLIDING BEARER-SETS FOR MINE GALLERIES Filed Sept. 27, 1963 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 8, 1966 J. J. LAUNAY 3,283,514

SLIDING BEARER-SETS FOR MINE GALLERIES Filed Sept. 27, 1963 2Sheets-Sheet z United States Patent 3,283,514 SLIDING BEARER-SETS FORMHIE GALLERIES Jean Joseph Launay, Monaco, Monaco, assignor toApplications Scientifiques, Techniques, Industrielles et CommercialesA.S.T.I.C. (Societe Anonyme Monegasque), Monte Carlo, Principality ofMonaco Filed Sept. 27, 1963, Ser. No. 312,025 Claims priority,application France, Sept. 29, 1962, PU 910,815 3 Claims. (Cl. 61-45) Thepresent invention relates to sliding bearer-sets for mine galleries,said bearer-sets being made up preferably of channel sections which fitone inside the other, and is more especially concerned with sets whichare made up of a head-piece (socket section) and two uprights (insertedsections) which are joined together in each overlapping zone by a topassembly and bottom assembly and permit of sliding movement under theaction of increasing stresses exerted by the ground, at least one ofsaid assemblies being adapted in accordance with present designrequirements to be rigidly fixed in sliding motion to one of theelements of the set.

The overlapping portion, the length of which is initially in thevicinity of 40 cm., progressively increases until the extremity of eachupright reaches substantially the summit of the head-piece when in theend position which corresponds to the maximum roof-subsidence, and theprimary object of the invention is to permit such subsidence withoutproducing any deformation of the constituent elements.

In point of fact, such a result has never yet been achieved and proof ofthis well be found from close examination of the behaviour of theupright and of the head-piece during the subsiding movement of the set.The upright performs a pivotal movement about its point of support onthe ground while the upper terminal portion thereof remains in contactwith the head-piece, whereas the head-piece carries out a verticalmovement of translation movement of translation, thereby creating aprogressively increasing gap between the end of said headpiece and theupright member.

In the case in which the assemblies are completely independent of thestructural members which they join together, said structural membersaccordingly take up positions in which the deformations to which thesets are subjected are of minimum value, that is to say, of course,insofar as friction forces and ground obstacles permit.

In the case in which each assembly remains integral with one of theelements of the set, these latter are necessarily subjected todeformation and it is difficult to determine whether such deformation iseither elastic or permanent. Permanent deformation is not admissable,whereas elastic deformation must reach a value such that the set islocked in position and any sliding movement thus becomes impossible.

It has already been proposed to overcome this disadvantage by providingthe head-piece with an articula tion at the central point thereof, butthe increase in the cost price makes this solution commerciallyunacceptable.

The present invention obviates these drawbacks and accordingly arisesfrom the following statement:

Consideration being given to a head-piece and to an upright member theupper terminal portion of which, in accordance with conventional design,has a radius of greater length than that of the head-piece in theposition occupied by these members when the set is in a condition ofmaximum subsidence, it will be observed as previously noted that thelower extremity of the head-piece is located at a certain distance awayfrom the upright or, in other words, forms a gap with respect to saidupright.

3,283,514 Patented Nov. 8, 1966 "ice Consequently if, instead ofendowing the head-piece with the usual circular shape having a radius ofcurvature which is smaller than that of the upright, said head-piecewere provided on each side of its central point with a curvature whichis identical to that of the upper terminal portion of the upright andthe shape of which is such that said head-piece coincides with saidportion in the position above noted, the problem would accordingly besolved.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a supportframe or so-called bearer-set which is formed in known manner by ahead-piece and two uprights wherein said head-piece comprises two armshaving a radius of curvature which is identical to the radius ofcurvature of the respective upper terminal portion of each of the twouprights and the adjoining extremities of the said arms make the sameangle with each other as the angle defined by imaginary tangential linesdrawn to the two closest points on each terminal portion in the positionof maximum subsidence which is contemplated.

Accordingly, when the maximum subsidence which is contemplated coincideswith the position in which the extremities of the uprights are incontact, the head-piece then takes the shape of a perfect Gothic arch orpointed arch, whereas in the case in which the maximum subsidencecontemplated does not reach the point of contact ture of the two arms donot coincide.

of the extremities of the uprights, the two arcuate arms of thehead-piece are rigidly coupled together by a central arm. In both casesthe head-piece is constructed in such a manner that the origins of theradius of curva- In other words, the two arms of the head-piece do notlie on a single imaginary circle.

The operation involving the formation of one or two angular points in ahead-piece of conventional shape can readily be performed by press-workand is very advantageous from the point of view of cost price;furthermore, the small amplitude of the angle of deformation which isimparted to the head-piece is not liable to subject the metal tounacceptable stresses. Finally, it will be noted that the pointed-archshape has a higher crushing strength than the circular shape.

The invention will be more clearly understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 represents the two end positions which are successively taken upby the elements of a conventional bearer-set, the head-piece of whichhas a radius of curvature which is shorter than that of the uprights.

FIG. 2 is a similar View of a form of embodiment of a bearer-set inaccordance with the invention in the two end positions thereof, theposition of maximum subsidence being coincident with the point ofcontact of the ends of the uprights.

FIG. 3 is a similar view of a second form of embodiment in which theextremities of the two uprights do not come into contact in the positionof maximum subsidence.

Reference being made to FIG. 1, P designates each of the uprights of abearer-set of the usual type and C designates the associated head-piecehaving a radius of curvature which is shorter than that of the uprights.

The solid outline which has a wider development shows the initialposition of the elements of the set wherein the overlapping portion ABof the head-piece and of the upright has a length of the order of 40 cm.The broken outline represents the end position which is taken up by theelements of the set to which there has in this case been assigned theindex 1, after a sliding movement has been carried out under the actionof stresses exerted by the ground (or roof).

In order to reach this position, the two uprights carry out respectivelyabout their points 01, 02 of support a,2sa,5 14

on the floor a movement of rotation P-Pl whereas the headpiece carriesout a translational movement C-Cl. It will be noticed that a gap isformed in this position between the ends BI and each upright. It shouldbe pointed out that, if the radius of curvature adopted for thehead-piece had been identical with that of the upright member, this gapwould have been ever further increased whereas in the initial position,a smaller although nevertheless appreciable gap would have existed.

In accordance with the invention, the head-piece CO takes the shape of aGothic or pointed arch (as shown in FIG. 2), the two halves of which, asconstituted by sections of circular configuration and having the samecurvature as the upper terminal portion of the uprights, make an angle awith each other at the central point M of the head-piece, said angle abeing equal to the angle made by the two extremities A of the uprightswhen these latter meet at A1 in the end positions thereof.

As has been explained in the foregoing, this shape can very easily beobtained by press-work using a head-piece of conventional configuration,without subjecting the metal to any excessive stresses and withoutresulting in any appreciable increase in the cost price.

It accordingly follows that, if one considers a resilient set havingvertical props and a radius of curvature of 2.5 metres which is commonto the head-piece and to the uprights, the angle a at the summit of thetwo halves of the pointed arch is of the order of 165.

In the form of embodiment of FIG. 3 in which the two uprights P do notcome into contact in the position P1 of maximum subsidence, thehead-piece CO is com posed of two arms DB having the same radius ofcurvature as the uprights and joined together by a central arm DD of anysuitable shape. As in the previously described embodiment, the two armsare disposed with respect to one another as to form a pointed archexcept that in this embodiment the arch is unfinished and the truncatedextremities are joined by means of the arm DD.

It thus applies to both embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 that theangle between two imaginary lines drawn tangentially to the adjacent endpoints on each arched arm is less than 180". In the embodiment shown inFIG. 2 the two points practically coincide at M, while in FIG. 3 the twopoints are spaced and are disposed at DD. The aforenoted angle is equalto an angle formed by two 4% imaginary lines drawn tangentially to theadjacent end points on each terminal portion when the head-piece is inits lowest position. In FIG. 2 the last-named two points practicallycoincide at A, while in FIG. 3 the two points are spaced and disposed atA A What I claim is:

1. A bearer set for mine galleries comprising, two uprights ofsubstantially the same configuration secured at their lower end tospaced points adjacent or on the ground and swingable thereabout, saiduprights being symmetrically disposed about an axis normal to theground, each upright including a curved upper terminal portion, aheadpiece including a pair of members rigidly secured to one another inan end-to-end and symmetrical relationship, each of said membersincluding an arched arm slidably secured to said terminal portion ofsaid uprights and adapted to overlap therewith, said head-piece adaptedto move in a substantially linear, vertical path between a highestposition and a lowest position as said uprights swing towards eachother, said upper terminal portions having a radius of curvatureidentical to that of said arched arms adapted to overlap with said upperterminal portions, the origins of the radius of curvature of said archedarms being spaced from one another, the angle between two imaginarylines drawn tangentially to adjacent end points on each said arched armbeing less than and being equal to the angle formed by two imaginarylines drawn tangentially to adjacent end points on each said terminalportion when said head-piece is in its lowest position.

2. A bearer set as defined in claim 1, wherein said arms are disposed inan end-to-end relationship.

3. A bearer set as defined in claim 1, wherein said arms are rigidlylinked together by means of an interconnecting member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,713,774 7/1955Heintzmann et al. 6145.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 765,377 1957 Great Britain.

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

JACOB SHAPIRO, Examiner.

1. A BEARER SET FOR MINE GALLERIES COMPRISING, TWO UPRIGHTS OFSUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME CONFIGURATION SECURED AT THEIR LOWER END TOSPACED POINTS ADJACENT OR ON THE GROUND AND SWINGABLE THEREABOUT, SAIDUPRIGHTS BEING SYMMETRICALLY DISPOSED ABOUT AN AXIS NORMAL TO THEGROUND, EACH UPRIGHT INCLUDING A CURVED UPPER TERMINAL PORTION, AHEADPIECE INCLUDING A PAIR OF MEMBERS RIGIDLY SECURED TO ONE ANOTHER INAN END-TO-END AND SYMMETRICAL RELATIONSHIP, EACH OF SAID MEMBERSINCLUDING AN ARCHED ARM SLIDABLY SECURED TO SAID TERMINAL PORTION OFSAID UPRIGHTS AND ADAPTED TO OVERLAP THEREWITH, SAID HEAD-PIECE ADAPTEDTO MOVE IN A SUBSTANTIALLY LINEAR, VERTICAL PATH BETWEEN A HIGHESTPOSITION AND A LOWEST POSITION AS SAID UPRIGHTS SWING TOWARDS EACHOTHER, SAID UPPER TERMINAL PORTIONS HAVING A RADIUS OF CURVATUREIDENTICAL TO THAT OF SAID ARCHED ARMS ADAPTED TO OVERLAP WITH SAID UPPERTERMINAL